Chinese student wins Emmy with short film on Nanjing Massacre

A Chinese student studying in the US has won an Emmy Award with her short film on the Nanjing Massacre, reports the Beijing News.

The one-minute clip, called "Nanjing Peacemaker," was shot by Luo Yiyun. It pays tribute to Wilhelmina "Minnie" Vautrin, an American missionary who saved thousands of Chinese women and children during World War II.

File photo shows the trophies of the Emmy Awards.[Photo: IC]

The film won the top "Female Peacemaker" award, after being selected from over 200 candidates, and was included into the Innovative Youth category on November 22.

Luo Yiyun was born in 1991 in Nanjing, and she has been studying in the US for over six years. She said that the idea to shoot the film came from her grandmother, who was among those saved by Vautrin.

The film is about how a Chinese girl makes preparations after given a chance to become a volunteer in war-torn Iraq. At the end of the film, historic images of the Nanjing Massacre were shown, and subtitles in both Chinese and English were added "In memory of Miss Minnie Vautrin who saved 100,000 refugees in Nanking during World War II."

Vautrin recorded what she encountered in China during the Nanjing Massacre in her diary, and the content later became important evidence to show the crimes committed by the Japanese troops in China. In 1938, the then Chinese government awarded Vautrin the Caiyu Medal, the top honor given to foreigners at the time.

Luo Yiyun said that not only Americans but also many Chinese people in the US have little knowledge of Vautrin or the history of the Nanjing Massacre.

"Winning the award leaves me more reflection than joy. The recognition is just one small step for Chinese people to introduce our history, yearnings to peace and values to the world," added Luo.

The Emmy Awards, which were set up in 1948 by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, are the top prizes in the US TV industry. The International Emmys were set up to recognize one-minute films shot by young directors between the ages of 18 and 30 from outside the US.